Well readers I woke up this morning to heavy rain. Not the usual downpour which is generally a quick shower and then everything gets
back to normal. Consistent heavy rain. Ah just feels like home.
Now rain in Dhaka, never mind the rest of Bangladesh
creates its own problems. For starters walking about becomes hazardous.
With all the holes in the road, who knows what is a puddle or a six foot
deep trench. Driving is just as bad as
you have everyone from walkers, to rickshaws, tuk-tuks, other drivers all
vying for the sole piece of visible tarmac, I use that word lightly, in case
the puddle harbours something more sinister.
Of course you are asking why not use the pavement. Well readers where there are pavements, there
are holes or more than likely low lying telephone and TV cables to get garroted
on. Everyday is an adventure and obstacle course!
So why the rain. Well Cyclone Mahasen, named after a Sri Lankan King, they named it first and now
realise they should not have named it after a king, even though he was
instrumental in bringing irrigation to Sri Lanka, has formed in the Bay of
Bengal and is bearing down on Bangladesh and Myanmar (Burma in old money).
What has been interesting in the build up to the storms arrival, are the amount of predictions of route, strength, perceived and
potential damage, response etc. All very
mixed and conflicting I can assure you.
The one ray of hope in amongst this is that the Bangladeshi government
have utilised all resources and are allegedly prepared for the storm and its
aftermath. The last couple of storms
that have hit Bangladesh in the last 20 years have resulted in thousands dying and the country failing to respond to the enormity of the situation.
The UN, UKAid and the various NGO's are ready for what will hit Bangladesh but also Myanmar, where it could hit a region which already has over 50,000 displaced people from civil war. The problem for Bangladesh is that most of the country is only a few metres above sea level. So when you add extra water from the rain adding to a saturated ground never mind a predicted storm surge, then flooding is a real possibility - it just depends to what extent.
The next 48 hours or so will be telling. Dhaka will have rain and some wind, from the cyclone fringes. Further away will receive the impact from Cyclone Mahasen. Fingers crossed readers.